SYDNEY MUBAIWA
GOKWE-The rot at Gokwe Town Council is threatening to ground service delivery for residents as inconsistencies in handling disciplinary issues are seriously dividing management.
The poor service delivery has reached a level where residents are beginning to demand action from responsible authorities.
Recent incidents involving the mishandling of municipal vehicles, particularly a damaged Chevrolet and a Toyota Hilux, have raised serious concerns about fairness and governance within the local authority.
In early 2024, a Chevrolet vehicle was involved in an accident in Bulawayo, and a year later, its whereabouts remain shrouded in mystery. This glaring lack of transparency has fueled public outrage, with residents demanding accountability from the local leadership.
Residents who spoke to The Midweek Watch on condition of anonymity in fear of being victimised attributed Gokwe’s poor service delivery to endemic corruption that has seen a high turnover of senior staff whose corruption cases have featured prominently in headlines in previous years.
“Service delivery here in Gokwe is just painfully poor. What worries us the most is that we continue to hear about issues of high profile corruption involving top council officials. Latest reports indicate that the local authority is engulfed in scandalous activities- abuse of office and corruption by the Acting Town Secretary Engineer Melsen Masukume,” said the source who prayed for anonymity.
He said Masukume has been at the center of all decay and corruption within the local authority.
“Council protocols clearly dictate that a Board of Inquiry should be convened whenever an employee is involved in an accident; however, no such inquiry was initiated in this case. This negligence stands in stark contrast to the treatment of internal auditor Manasseh Mhlolo, who faced an unfair dismissal over a trivial cost of US$80 incurred from another vehicle accident,” he added.
He said following Masukume’s involvement in the earlier accident with the Toyota Hilux, no Board of Inquiry was conducted. Furthermore, the results of any council discussions regarding the damaged Chevrolet and the repaired Hilux were never shared with stakeholders.
“This lack of communication has led many to speculate that the findings were deliberately concealed, deepening perceptions of mismanagement and unfairness within the council.
“The Chevrolet Trailblazer accident, which occurred while being driven by Eng. Masukume, exemplifies these issues. According to the council’s Transport Policy, a Board of Inquiry should have been constituted, yet the matter was simply swept under the carpet. Adding to the controversy, Masukume awarded the tender to repair the damaged vehicle to a questionable Bulawayo-based panel beater, a clear violation of the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Act, which mandates that such matters be handled by the Procurement Management Unit. This has led residents to suspect that Masukume’s decisions are motivated more by personal gain than by the best interests of the council and residents,” fumed the resident.
He said Mhlolo’s case resulted in the council spending over US$15,000 on a disciplinary hearing committee, comprised of members drawn from councils hundreds of kilometers away with critics arguing that such exorbitant expenditures divert essential funds from community services, further exacerbating the council’s failures in delivering basic services to residents.
He said the wreckage of the Chevrolet has been returned to Gokwe Town Council stores without any repairs being conducted, raising further questions about the council’s financial management.
“The damaged vehicle incurred storage costs at a privately owned garage in Bulawayo, a burden that will ultimately fall on residents.
“A broken down tipper went for service in Bulawayo last year and until now it hasn’t been fixed and the Engineer is always pocketing travelling substance to and from Bulawayo, bleeding the local authority’s financial situation.
“This financial strain, combined with the council’s inability to provide adequate services, underscores significant issues of governance and fiscal responsibility.
“Residents are increasingly frustrated by what they perceive as a blatant double standards, while Mhlolo faced harsh repercussions for a minor infraction, Eng. Masukume and the council appear to operate without accountability for far more serious issues.
“Many community members believe that Masukume is effectively playing cards with ratepayers’ money, prioritizing personal interests over public service, all while the councillors remain largely indifferent. Their apparent apathy raises serious questions about their commitment to serving the community and their role in holding the council accountable,” he added.
Contacted for a comment, Masukume rubbished the claims as false information bend on tarnishing his image.
“All those are false allegations that are being circulated by insiders with intentions to tarnish my image,” he said.
This hypocrisy has not gone unnoticed, as residents question how the council can justify its actions or lack thereof. The stark contrast in treatment raises serious concerns about the council’s commitment to fair governance and its prioritization of service delivery.
As Gokwe Town Council grapples with these pressing issues, the community is left wondering how officials will rectify these discrepancies and restore public trust.
The call for transparency and fairness has never been more urgent, and the pressure is mounting for the council to address its internal inconsistencies.
The Gokwe residents are demanding accountability, and it remains to be seen whether the council will rise to the occasion or continue to turn a blind eye to serious matters that impact the community.
The people of Gokwe stand at a critical juncture, insisting that their leaders act in the public’s interest rather than perpetuating a culture of non accountability.
A Local Government ministry investigation last year made several recommendations to arrest graft but nothing has changed at the local authority.
